Greater Grey profile picture

Greater Grey

Thanks for the memories

About Me

“we stare up at the florescent summer sky/ we light fireworks on the fourth of july”“I suppose there is a certainly melancholy that pervades the record,” Jeffrey Billman says. The Greater Grey vocalist is sitting on his couch, smoking a cigarette and toying with a ice-filled glass of Macallan 12-year-old scotch. He’s patently uncomfortable being interviewed. Uncomfortable, he later explains, talking about himself in general. “But it’s not really that sad, you know?” He takes a drink and pauses for a moment. “It’s more of a chronology of what my life was like when we were writing the record. I don’t think there’s really a common theme. It’s emotionally sporadic, in the same way I think all of us have random thoughts and ups and downs.”Greater Grey wrote most of its independently released debut album, “The Summer Ends,” in the latter part of 2004, a few months after Jeffrey ended a five-year relationship. The lingering sadness permeates one of the CDs standout tracks, “The Best Thing That You’ve Had,” a song about realizing a relationship’s come to and end and dealing with the consequences. “I don’t want to stand inside this lie that we’ve become,” Billman sings. But the record has wistful moments too: “Amazing,” the lead track, races through a night of infatuation. “Seconds Like Hours,” the disc’s finale, centers on a fleeting weekend romance amidst a backdrop of summer storms and self-medication."The Summer Ends" was produced and recorded by Brett Hestla (Dark New Day, Virgos Merlot, Creed) and Justin Thomas (Faktion) throughout 2004 and 2005, and released in June 2006. Since then, the band has sold hundreds of copies at shows and in local record shops. “This thing took forever to finish,” says Brad Floyd, a guitarist who helped form the group in 2003. Shortly after, Jeffrey, Brad and fellow guitarist Greg Pleger added two new members – drummer Todd Patterson and bassists Derek Cole. They began to hit the Florida music circuit, everywhere from Miami to Melbourne to Orlando to Tampa, and back again, and have plans to attack the southeast in 2007.“The chemistry’s there, and it feels good,” Jeffrey says. The proof is an album’s worth of new songs the band has crafted, including fan favorites like “The Chorus” and “Dogs.” “I think we’ve taken a different approach to songwriting. We’re expanding. We’re adding more instruments and different arrangements, and really trying grow. Lyrically, too. Take ‘Dogs’ as an example. It’s a song about war, and the effect it has on everyone involved. It has a personal element, in that there’s a story behind it, but it’s not the kind of lyric I would have written for the first record.”Greater Grey plans to record a follow-up record later in 2007, and to keep up the band’s increasingly busy show schedule. “That’s where I think we all get off,” Brad says. “The live shows, the energy, the friends we meet. You get a sense of community, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of. We are seeing more and more happen musically and culturally here in Orlando, and we’re grateful to be a part of a growing, and really exciting scene.”You can pick up Greater Grey’s debut CD at www.myspace.com/greatergrey or at Park Ave CDs in Winter Park. (www.myspace.com/parkavecds). Or just click here.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/10/2006
Band Website: www.greatergrey.com" greatergrey.com
Band Members: Jeffrey Billman - vocals, guitar
Bradley Floyd - guitar, piano, vocals
Greg Pleger - guitar, piano
Derek Cole - bass
Todd Patterson - drumsphotos by Collette - Katidid Productions Photography
Influences: Jimmy Eat World
Radiohead
Counting Crows
Ryan Adams
Green Day
Ben Folds
Smashing Pumpkins

Sounds Like: everything you've ever wanted
Record Label:
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

good night, and good luck

one final thing from the greater grey corner: we had a fucking blast last night, and wanted to say thanks to everyone who came and everyone who got on stage for the big "amazing" finale. all good thin...
Posted by Greater Grey on Sun, 01 Apr 2007 08:21:00 PST

This is the end ...

Hey guys, Some sort of bittersweet news to report. After 5 years, a hundred some-odd shows, a CD, and EP, and by my count at least 10 different members at various times, Greater Grey has decided to ca...
Posted by Greater Grey on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 05:43:00 PST

Stupid spammers

Seriously, I can't log in to this page (or my own one) without having seventeen friend requests from girls who don't have a myspace but their friend has one and they wanted to send me a message and I ...
Posted by Greater Grey on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:51:00 PST

I like this song, what's it about (part 7)

First off, before I get going, let me just say that none of what I'm about to write actually matters. Why, you ask? Because, according to the thing I just watched on the history channel - yeah, i'm a ...
Posted by Greater Grey on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 01:50:00 PST

Thank you, Collette

Ok, so you may have noticed we've added a ton of new pictures to the page. We need to give props to our band photographer, Collette, who has worked so diligently with us over the last couple of weeks,...
Posted by Greater Grey on Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:21:00 PST

Here's that review I promised

From Connections.
Posted by Greater Grey on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:42:00 PST

Check out this event: Greater Grey at Central Station

Hosted By: Greater Grey When: Friday Feb 23, 2007 at 9:00 PMWhere: Central Station Bar100 E Central BlvdOrlando, FL 32801United StatesDescription:Greater Grey Click Here To View Event...
Posted by Greater Grey on Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:09:00 PST

Review in Connections

Hey guys, If you can find it, the February issue of Connections reviewed the record. I can't find a link to put it online (if you can, please email), but suffice it to say they liked it. Alrighty, th...
Posted by Greater Grey on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 01:22:00 PST

I like this song, what's it about (part 6)

Today's entry is a new song called The Chorus. Because it's as yet unrecorded, I'm putting the lyrics here: you waited in the dark/ you wished upon a star/ when the sunlight turns to red/ a picture in...
Posted by Greater Grey on Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:38:00 PST

I like this song, what's it about (part 5)

Haven't done this in a while, but now's as good as ever: AmazingThis is the first song on the record, but one of the last we wrote and recorded. Contrary to popular opinion - i.e. the guy who wrote a ...
Posted by Greater Grey on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:40:00 PST